


A Handkerchief and chicken salad

by EWM



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Gen, Heavy Angst, Hurt Angus Macgyver (Macgyver 2016), Jack Dalton - Freeform, Jack Dalton death, Jack Dalton is Riley Davis' Parent, Loss, Mac being stoic, Mac dealing Jack's death, Mac dealing with Jack's death (or not), Mac mourning Jack, MacGyver Season 5, Macgyver 5x05, Mentioned Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2015), Parental Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016), Poor Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis & Angus MacGyver are Siblings, Riley dealing with Jack's death, Worried Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-18 00:41:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28983540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EWM/pseuds/EWM
Summary: Mac and Riley share a quiet moment at Jack's funeral
Relationships: Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 30





	A Handkerchief and chicken salad

Riley kept it together pretty much all day. She’d stood stoic and silent as the coffin came out of the plane. She’d kept her head up as Mac and the others gave their salute, as Jack Dalton, the man who had been so much part of her life, who’d given her so much was carried away in a wooden box. She’d managed to focus on the practical chores at the wake, making sure there was enough food and booze to get everyone through the event. She’d kept her thoughts away the conversation with her mom, hearing her weep down the phone had not help Riley’s state of mind. But somehow, all the emotions and the pain had been kept at bay. She’d stowed them next to that sick feeling she had at the bottom of her stomach.

But finally, in the later part of the afternoon when Mac’s house was packed full of people Riley realised, she’d had enough. She’d had enough of people smiling sadly at her and taking her hand and nodding, just all of it, she was done. So she walked out in a desperate attempt to get some air and try and clear her brain. Mac caught her eye as she departed, but she ignored him and made it out the door. She got about as far as the edge of Mac’s front lawn and then the tears came. Angry, scared tears, she wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. She wanted Jack there to take her in his arms and remind her everything was going to be okay because Jack’s here. But of course he couldn’t. She stood their crying quietly a while letting the tears run down her cheeks with her fists clenched, her sharp nails dug into her palms.

She heard a crack behind her, but it was just Mac. He’d followed outside. Riley started to wipe the tears away

_“Please don’t make me go back inside, I don’t want any of those people to see me crying….”_

_“Don’t worry Riles, it’s just me.”_

_“I just can’t anymore with the fond memories and the ooh how did you know Jack? Oh and he’ll be missed…he was such a fine man. I just..”_

Mac’s response was to present her with a pristine white handkerchief. She took it gratefully and blew her nose and wiped away the black smudges of her makeup. Then Riley took a deep breath as if ready to face people once more. What happened was more tears came out Mac wrapped his arms around her

_“He left us Mac! He left us alone after everything!”_

_“I know Riley.”_

She began to beat her hands against Mac’s chest in between sobs, but he didn’t let go of her.

 _“He’s gone. That crazy bastard is gone! And I didn’t even get to have a piece of pizza with him!_ _I wish he was here! So I can tell him how much I hate him right now!!”_

Mac smiled at Riley

_“A logic I’m sure he’d approve of.”_

She giggled and hiccupped. Mac’s calming presence was working its magic. The tears slowly began to retreat.

_“I’m here for you Riley I promise. We can even…do pizza tomorrow if you want? Whatever you like”_

She nodded at him and then seemingly had a thought.

_“What about all the practical stuff? I mean I know you’ve organised all this for him. But what about I don’t know his personal affects or his will? Or whatever? Did Jack even have a will?”_

_“Yeah. There’s a bunch of paperwork, I’ll worry about it Riles. It’ll be fine.”_

Mac stood with Riley locked in a hug for a few extra minutes. He pushed his own anger at Jack, his own pain aside. He could worry about mourning later. What mattered now was everyone else. He had to be there for her, for all of them, make sure they were all okay or at least be there to rebuild and pick up the pieces when they weren’t. It would be what Jack would have wanted. He found himself writing out a to do list in his head as he listened to Riley’s breathing. Finish wake, clean up house, call lawyer for details of will and then go to Jack’s flat and clean out his personal affects? Maybe he should do that before hearing the will? So everything was sorted? Should he give Riley the dog tags? Would she want them as a reminder of Jack? He’d ask her at some other point. He could give them to her if she di them. Maybe not? Would Riley want anything of Jack’s stuff? Would it just be a horrible reminder? What about his car? What was going to happen to the GTO?

Then check on Bozer and Desi, he should ask Matty how she was too. They’d all known Jack and would all be grieving in their own way. He’d have keep track of them.. Mac was sure he could help them, he could do something for each of them to make this scenario a little bit more bearable. Ironically, if Jack had been there, he would have given Mac a good swift shake telling him to deal with his own grief, his own upset and not just focus on other people’s. But of course, Mac always had a habit of ignoring Dalton at his own convenience (just as Jack had done to MacGyver on occasion), it was a mark of their relationship. So when Mac and Riley went back inside the house to look for snacks and more booze, Riley was not quite smiling again but a little less sad. Whereas Mac had pushed his own grief away, buried in a deep dark pit along with the death of his mother, his father, his aunt and every other person he’d failed to save, Jack was simply another name on that list. But no one would know to look to at him, he opened the door for Riley and they went into the kitchen side-stepping guests and plates of food. He passed her a beer and signalled to Bozer who appeared with a plate of chicken and salad for her seemingly out of nowhere. Mac smiled at the two of them, all the while determinedly ignoring the gaping hole in his own heart.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so having watched the episode 5x05, I felt like a scene was missing from it. When Mac and Riley catch each other's eye at the funeral I felt like there was supposed to be another bit after that. 
> 
> I also thought Riley deserved to have a good cry and get upset too (we never really see that) 
> 
> For the Mac/Riley shippers out there, for me this scene is brotherly/sisterly rather than as a potential for a lover affair (no offence meant, that's just how I read them/how I saw this scene in my head)


End file.
